Management Update Newsletter

Volume 7, Issue 9

September 2018

Using Social Media In The Hiring Process

Social media can be a useful tool in the hiring process. The Society for Human Resource Management ("SHRM") surveyed its members in 2008, 2011 and 2013 on the use of social media for employee recruitment and selection. In 2013, seventy-seven percent of respondent companies used social networking sites. That figure was up from fifty-six percent in 2011 and thirty-four percent in 2008. A 2017 CareerBuilder survey found that seventy percent of employers now use social media to screen potential hires. While the law on social media use in the hiring process is developing, employers should keep an eye out for anti-discrimination laws, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and password protection laws. Click here to continue reading.

"Paw"ternity Leave?

A newly termed employee benefit is now being offered at several companies across the U.S., "paw"ternity leave, also known as "fur"ternity leave, is being offered to employees who are welcoming new additions to their families: pets. Digital marketing firm Nina Hale recently made news when they announced they would be offering a week of leave for employees who have adopted a pet. Employees are allowed to work at home for a week in order to help their new pet adjust to their new homes. Most companies offering this benefit give employees a week off, but mParticle, a New York-based software companies gives two weeks to employees who adopt a rescue dog or cat. mParticle also has a dog-friendly office space. This new trend in employee benefits has become a selling point for Millennials who have been delaying having children and consider their pets "fur babies." Studies have shown that pet-friendly work environments can increase employee productivity as well as the overall company atmosphere.

Alabama State University Softball Coach Can Move Forward with Sex Bias Suit

The U.S. District Court of the Middle District for Alabama sent former Alabama State University (ASU) softball coach Telma Hall's discriminatory suspension, denial of bonuses and retaliation claims to a jury. According to Hall, her $34,000 per year starting salary with no performance-based bonuses or car allowances could not compare to the salaries of male baseball and basketball coaches at the university. She also said there was a stark difference in the way she was disciplined compared to her male counterparts after parent complaints led to her suspension. Hall's lawsuit against ASU under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act also claimed she was denied bonuses as a form of retaliation when she complained about the pay disparity between herself and the male coaches. ASU's Office of General Counsel plans to file a motion for the federal district court to reconsider it's ruling. The Court did rule in favor of ASU on Hall's sex bias claims based on pay disparities and her termination.

Court Order Not Necessary to Block Hospitals' Bad Faith Bargaining

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected a request by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to grant a temporary injunction that sought to prevent West Virginia hospitals from allegedly bargaining in bad faith with a nurse's union. The NLRB has the ability to request an injunction to prevent unfair labor practices during lengthy NLRB administrative proceedings. The court denied injunctive relief against Bluefield Hospital Co., which operates Bluefield Regional Medical Center and Greenbrier Valley Medical Center. The NLRB presented certain evidence that hospital representatives unlawfully engaged in bad faith bargaining with the National Nurses Organizing Committee, but it was insufficient to support the NLRB's theory that an injunction was necessary to prevent a decline in union support while NLRB administrative proceedings moved forward.